---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And suddenly it came to him. That…"
description: "\"“And suddenly it came to him. That Strawberry Fields garden he'd come from, and the Freedom Tower he'd been thinking of: taken together, didn't they co..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20f/edward-rutherfurd-12099_dream_and-suddenly-it-came-to-him-that-strawbe_2531819.png"
---

#  And suddenly it came to him. That Strawberry Fields garden…

![“And suddenly it came to him. That Strawberry Fields garden he'd come from, and the Freedom Tower he'd been thinking of: taken together, didn't they contain the two words that said it all about this city, the two words that really mattered? It seemed to him that they did. Two words: the one an…” quote by Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20f/edward-rutherfurd-12099_dream_and-suddenly-it-came-to-him-that-strawbe_2531819.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20f/edward-rutherfurd-12099_dream_and-suddenly-it-came-to-him-that-strawbe_2531819.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/20f/edward-rutherfurd-12099_dream_and-suddenly-it-came-to-him-that-strawbe_2531819.png)

> ““And suddenly it came to him. That Strawberry Fields garden he'd come from, and the Freedom Tower he'd been thinking of: taken together, didn't they contain the two words that said it all about this city, the two words that really mattered? It seemed to him that they did. Two words: the one an invitation, the other an ideal, an adventure, a necessity. "Imagine" said the garden. "Freedom" said the tower. Imagine freedom. That was the spirit, the message of this city he loved. You really didn't need anything more. Dream it and do it. But first you must dream it.””

[Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The city’s spirit is captured by two words—Imagine and Freedom—signifying that dreaming and acting together create purpose and adventure.

**In simple terms:** Dream, then act; imagination plus freedom drive purpose.

Key Takeaway

Dream first, then act.

Themes

inspiration city identity creativity freedom adventure

Mood

hopeful determined reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- Urban planning
- personal goal setting
- community activism
- artistic projects

Key Concepts

Imagination Freedom Purpose Idealism

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “Imagine Freedom” mean to you?
- How can you turn a dream into concrete action?

A Different Perspective

Dreaming without action leads nowhere; imagination can be unrealistic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/)

## Related quotes

> [“Imagine. Freedom. Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/imagine-freedom-always/)

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> [Someday, the realm of liberty and justice will encompass the planet. Freedom is not just the birthright of the few, it is the God-given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/someday-the-realm-of-liberty-and-justice-will-encompass-the-planet/)

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> [I've decided I'm going to live this life for some time to come. The freedom and simple beauty is just too good to pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mccandless/i-ve-decided-i-m-going-to-live-this-life-for-some-time-to-come-the/)

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> [We are the things and shapes to come, your freedom's not free of dumb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/we-are-the-things-and-shapes-to-come-your-freedom-s-not-free-of-dumb/)

[Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/)

> [The only kind of freedom that the mob can imagine is freedom to annoy and oppress its betters, and that is precisely the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-kind-of-freedom-that-the-mob-can-imagine-is-freedom-to-annoy/)

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> [“To live and to dream, to study and share her thoughts, to ponder the words of great men...To be a man, to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-calkins/to-live-and-to-dream-to-study-and-share-her-thoughts-to-ponder-the/)

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> [“It was a dizzying prospect—to imagine all that freedom, to understand how little it mattered what choice he made.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/it-was-a-dizzying-prospect-to-imagine-all-that-freedom-to-understand/)

[Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/)

> [Imagine" he said, "never even thinking, 'We are alone,' simply because it has never occurred to you to think that there's any other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/imagine-he-said-never-even-thinking-we-are-alone-simply-because-it/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [“So he closed his eyes and imagined Artimé, the way it had been, he way he wanted it to be again. His hands reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/so-he-closed-his-eyes-and-imagined-artim-the-way-it-had-been-he-way/)

[Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/)

> [“The key is to imagine,” he said. “Visualize the path you want to take and then let your will guide your power along that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-soreyne/the-key-is-to-imagine-he-said-visualize-the-path-you-want-to-take-and/)

Layla Soreyne

> [“I decided it would be helpful to provide an example, drawing on a story in which emotional behavior would have led to disastrous consequences.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graeme-simsion/i-decided-it-would-be-helpful-to-provide-an-example-drawing-on-a/)

[Graeme Simsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graeme-simsion/)

> [Imagine if I'd said, 'I have to be the best actress - I want that and nothing else.' I never would have directed. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/imagine-if-i-d-said-i-have-to-be-the-best-actress-i-want-that-and/)

[Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/)

> [“But imagine,” said Mars, “being a comet. I want you to imagine a divine force in someone that pushes them through the world, infinitely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kristian-flores/but-imagine-said-mars-being-a-comet-i-want-you-to-imagine-a-divine/)

[Karl Kristian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kristian-flores/)

> [I asked the policeman and said how much must I pay for my freedom? He said to me, son they won't build no schools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucky-dube/i-asked-the-policeman-and-said-how-much-must-i-pay-for-my-freedom-he/)

[Lucky Dube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucky-dube/)

> [“There was a certain graceful ease and freedom about all he said and did, that gave a sense of repose and expansion to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-was-a-certain-graceful-ease-and-freedom-about-all-he-said-and/)

[Anne Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/)

## More by Edward Rutherfurd

> [“imaginarias a lo largo”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/imaginarias-a-lo-largo/)

[Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/)

> [“However much you may fall in love, do not waste that love on a woman who is not considerate in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/however-much-you-may-fall-in-love-do-not-waste-that-love-on-a-woman/)

[Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/)

> [For novelists, the imagination is everything. The trick is to guide one's imagination using research. I love using old maps. When I wrote my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/for-novelists-the-imagination-is-everything-the-trick-is-to-guide-one/)

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> [“but there was no need. For at that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/but-there-was-no-need-for-at-that/)

[Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/)

> [“The old man had smiled kindly. “It is in their nature, child. God has made woman the weaker vessel.” It was an old belief,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/the-old-man-had-smiled-kindly-it-is-in-their-nature-child-god-has/)

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> [She was quiet for a moment or two. Then she said: Cruel words are a terrible thing, Quash. Sometimes you regret them. But what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/she-was-quiet-for-a-moment-or-two-then-she-said-cruel-words-are-a/)

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> [“Imagine. Freedom. Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/imagine-freedom-always/)

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> [Paris. City of love. City of dreams. City of splendor. City of saints and scholars. City of gaiety. Sink of iniquity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-rutherfurd/paris-city-of-love-city-of-dreams-city-of-splendor-city-of-saints-and/)

[Edward Rutherfurd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/)

[Explore all 46 Edward Rutherfurd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-rutherfurd/)

## More Dream quotes

> [“Once we become sensitive to dreams, we discover that every dynamic in a dream is manifesting itself in some way in our practical lives”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/once-we-become-sensitive-to-dreams-we-discover-that-every-dynamic-in/)

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> [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/)

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> [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/)

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> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

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> [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/)

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